Harry's Unexpected Errand
by Melancholera
Summary: When Harry enters his Transfiguration class one morning, he has no idea what the day has in store for him! Written for Healer Pomfrey's March Contest. Sick!Remus.


Professor McGonagall drummed her fingers on the table in front of her impatiently. The third years were learning how to transform a goblet of water into a goblet of honey. This was her least favorite part of the Transfiguration curriculum, and if she had to watch one more student accidentally transfigure the goblet into an elastic band instead of changing the liquid into honey, she felt she wouldn't be able to keep from screaming. Besides, there were more important matters to be dealt with… like why Severus had, without notice or complaint, taken over Remus' classes for the last four days.

Minerva sighed and shrugged to herself, and then called out, "Mr. Potter? Come here, please."

The boy set down his goblet (which appeared to be full of tar) and brushed his hands on his robes as he scampered up to the front of the classroom. "Yes, Professor?"

"Mr. Potter, I haven't seen Professors Snape nor Lupin in several hours. Would you please be so kind as to go up to Professor Lupin's quarters and make sure everything is all right?"

Harry frowned slightly, as Lupin was his favorite instructor, and also because he didn't relish having to encounter Snape when there might be something already wrong. "Yes, Professor; I'll be back in a minute."

When Harry climbed up the last few steps to the teacher's dormitory, exhausted, he was greeted by his least favorite voice. "Finally, someone shows up. Thank the Founders. What, did you have to use a map to get here? Imbecile."

"Er… Hello, Professor Snape… Professor McGonagall sent me up to check on Lupin, but, er, I see that you…" Harry trailed off as he noticed that Snape was sprawled on the floor, holding his knee, which was bent at a strange angle. "Professor, what…"

"Potter, it's plain to see that I've dislocated my knee. Badly. Merlin, it looks like a rubber chicken, all floppy. And it doesn't feel much better than that. I came up to give Remus his potions and see how he was feeling—he's come down with the wizards' measles, you see—and as I was ascending the last step, I completely lost my balance and fell, twisting my knee. And I dropped and broke all of Remus' potions, and I don't even know if he's still conscious. I yelled and yelled but this bloody dormitory is so high in the tower no one heard."

"Sir, calm down, please… let me think… can you walk?"

"IDIOT BOY. Of course not. What, you think I'm just sitting here to enjoy _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_?!"

"Right, of course you can't… well, I'd probably best go check on Professor Lupin first, and then get Healer Pomfrey…"

"Yes, that certainly sounds like the path an INTELLIGENT boy would choose. A welcome change from your normal antics…"

Harry blinked at the agonized man before straightening back up and sprinting towards the only door, which, he guessed, would lead to Professor Lupin's room.

"Why, hello, poppet, you've finally come! I would like some strawberry ice cream, please, quickly, and some sunglasses, if you don't mind. The sun is awfully bright, and I'm so warm, and all I want is to be drifting on an iceberg with a cold pint of butterbeer. Well, and strawberry ice cream. …Have you got that yet?" Remus stopped talking long enough to take a deep breath, and fell back on his pillow and let out a loud snore.

Harry was quite confused, as the room was pitch black. The curtains were drawn, and it wasn't even sunny outside—in fact, there was a raging thunderstorm. He stood, gaping, by the door before he realized what was wrong. He carefully took the thermometer off the nightstand and eased it into the man's mouth. While the boy waited for the instrument to register, he took in Lupin's appearance: the man's skin was white as snow, dotted with regular blisters where the measles were starting to appear. Harry could also see that the man's throat was badly inflamed and that it was hard for him to breathe.

Harry removed the thermometer and wasn't surprised to see a very high figure. Seeing the man was still fast asleep, he fetched a handkerchief, soaked it in cool water, and placed it on Lupin's forehead before rushing back out of the room, past Snape ("_Potter, you'd best run faster than Viktor Krum flies to fetch Poppy!...")_, and down the four circular staircases towards the hospital wing. For once, he'd done something useful in Transfiguration class.


End file.
